A Message from Kim Coble, Executive Director

As we near the final days of the 2025 legislative session, I wanted to share an honest assessment of where things stand for Maryland’s environment. This has been one of the most challenging legislative sessions for environmental progress in recent memory.

For the first time in years, none of Maryland LCV or the environmental community’s priority bills – the CHERISH Our Communities Act, Near Shore Farm Finance Act, Coal Dust Clean-Up and Asthma Mitigation Fund – passed before the crossover deadline. The Abundant, Affordable, Clean Energy (AACE) Act has not moved forward independently as a standalone bill, but parts of it are expected to be incorporated into the leadership package on energy, the Next Generation Energy Act (SB 937 / HB 1035). 

Frankly, this session is standing in stark contrast to the legislative victories we’ve seen in recent years. As we face the remaining weeks of the session, a shift in strategy is needed. The Next Generation Energy Act presents a complex challenge for our environmental community. While legislative leadership has now attached a number of positive environmental policies to it—some of which we’ve supported for years—the bill’s core purpose of fast tracking fossil fuel gas plants to be built in Maryland, still remains. Additionally, the bill expedites new gas infrastructure and permitting processes by reducing essential community engagement and environmental safeguards. We continue to adamantly believe Maryland does not need more fossil fuel produced energy and we definitely don’t need to fast track it. 

As it is currently written, the Next Generation Energy Act risks locking Maryland into fossil fuel dependence for decades, directly undermining our state’s clean energy goals. The addition of beneficial clean energy provisions in the bill creates a difficult tension—we support many of the attached measures, but cannot ignore that the central framework proposes a significant step backward in our progress toward achieving Maryland’s greenhouse gas pollution reduction goals and clean energy commitments. Setting bad precedents that allow environmental review processes to be circumvented would be inconsistent with current federal and state law, and threaten the foundation of community-centered environmental protection.

In the face of these challenges, I remain proud of our work. We’re still making progress despite the headwinds. Without the efforts from our members and Maryland LCV’s vigilant presence in the legislative process, harmful provisions like those in the Next Generation Energy Act might have sailed through unnoticed or been even worse. Our team’s careful analysis exposed problematic language and we have been working tirelessly to advocate for improvements. Your voice as a Maryland LCV member has been critical in this work as it has drawn the attention of key decision-makers. We’ve worked with partners and legislators and have secured important amendments to bills, advocated to limit cuts to environmental program budgets and positioned several key environmental priorities for consideration in larger packages. This is the essential work that your support and activism makes possible—even in difficult sessions.

The truth is that environmental advocacy has always been a long game, and sometimes includes difficult strategic decisions. The Clean Water Act wasn’t passed in a day. The Chesapeake Bay Program wasn’t created overnight. Even when faced with legislation that has both harmful and beneficial elements, the work of analyzing, improving, and fighting for the best possible outcome makes a difference. The groundwork we’re laying this year positions us well for future success.

But do not fret yet— with more than a week remaining in the legislative calendar, our team is hitting the halls of the legislature every single day. We’re working tirelessly to minimize the harm of problematic legislation while advocating for our environmental priorities. With the Next Generation Energy Act’s complex mix of concerning provisions and beneficial measures, we’re pushing for the strongest possible environmental protections in the final version. A lot can happen in the final days of session, and Maryland LCV will be there as the watchdog for Maryland’s environment. We’ve seen last-minute victories in previous sessions, and we’re committed to pushing for the best possible outcomes until the final gavel falls at midnight on April 7th.

Your support – whether through actions, donations, or simply spreading the word – empowers us to continue this essential work. Thank you! 

Together, we’ll continue fighting for clean water, healthy air, and climate-resilient communities for everyone in Maryland. The path forward may not be as straightforward as we’d hoped, but with your continued support, we will make progress.

With determination and gratitude,

Kim Coble 

Executive Director 

Maryland League of Conservation Voters